Part 31 (1/2)

”Really?” with dawning interest.

”Really,” emphatically.

”Well, she's rather interesting after all,” said Gwen, ”for no doubt you are the eligible man of the neighbourhood.”

”She wouldn't care a snap of the fingers for that.”

”Not any more than I do for the woolly lamb's coronet?”

”Exactly. Now you are getting at the resemblance.”

”But you haven't yet told me why she hates you and me.”

He shrugged his shoulders. ”I'm not very clear,” he answered, ”and anyhow it would be too tedious to try and explain. It's a trifle enough anyway. Hullo!” breaking off, ”isn't that your baa-lamb I hear?”

Gwen listened with her head on one side.

”Yes, that's his bleat,” she said. ”Mamma will lead him in by a blue ribbon, so to speak, in a minute, and I shall want desperately to recite:

”'Mummie had a woolly lamb, Its fleece was white as snow, But 'twas everywhere that Gwennie went That lamb would always go.'”

She jumped up and commenced patting her hair into place and straightening the lace of her dress, remarking that, after all said and done, there was no harm in captivating. A moment later her mother came in looking worried.

”My dear,” she said, ”Earl Selloyd wishes to speak to you alone. He is in the library.”

”Good Heaven!” exclaimed Gwen. ”Has it come to this!”

”It's very wrong to speak of it in that way,” said her mother reprovingly. ”I'm sure I don't know where the girls of the present day get their queer manners from. Do try and realise that Earl Selloyd has come here this afternoon to pay you the greatest honour it is in the power of any man to pay to any woman.”

”Baa--a--a--a,” mimicked Gwen wickedly, and Lawrence bit his lip.

”At least then, remember that you are a gentlewoman,” continued Mrs Carew severely, ”or that Providence intended you for one.”

”Now you're getting sarcastic, mummie.” Gwen went up and put her arm round her mother's neck. ”Don't you get sarcastic with Gwennie, mummie, because she's just all right underneath. It's only on the top die's queer. Because you thought you were going to rear a stately swan, and found you had only a wicked duckling, you needn't frown and pucker up in that fas.h.i.+on. Stately swans are very tedious, and wicked ducklings do at least keep you going; so you ought really to go down on your knees and thank the good Providence that spared you the monotony of perpetually sailing about with your neck at an uncomfortable angle.

Don't you think so, Lawrie? Now, I'll go and see his Earls.h.i.+p and be good. To him I shall put the case differently, and explain how infinitely preferable the calm of the stately swan is, beside the tiresome duckling,”--and she crossed the large drawing-room to the door.

Here, however, she turned again.

”Lawrie.”

”Yes.”

”Do you know, I've an odd notion that if you haven't already fallen in love with that Irish, country-b.u.mpkin girl, you very shortly will!” and without giving him time to reply she vanished.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

LAWRENCE HEARS SOME NEWS.

”Now, you know this is very foolish,” said Gwen.